Forever & Always
by Passing-Glance
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple escort mission, but it went terribly wrong. The whole clan is dead and the only survivor is a little girl who will capture Itachi's blackening heart. Unfortunately, her own will reside with his brother. Kag/Ita/Sasu
1. Prologue

**Forever and Always**

**-Prologue-**

A mixture of rain and snow was pelting down upon the four man team of shinobi. The storm made the terrain bleak, while shadowing it in mystery. Not once did it let up as the shinobi made their way to the village hidden among the mountains.

It had been three days since the small group of three men and one woman started out for the distant land. They headed north, to a country covered by snow and ice. Where the environment was just as harsh as it was cold; and the people were as sturdy and unyielding as the land they tried to till.

They had been assigned a simple escort mission, something that could be taken care of within a week's time. And it would have been simple to complete for the Chuunin level ninja, had it not gone awry.

Itachi gazed at the scene of carnage with apathetic eyes. He had seen this sort of mayhem before; it was nothing new to him or any of his group members. And yet, the sight of so many dead struck a chord in his heart.

The bodies that lay around were completely mutilated. They were damaged, broken, and hardly noticeable. They looked anything but human.

The young Chuunin looked down upon a corpse of a woman whose body was upside down. Her face was smeared with her own blood and that of her kin. Her body had been cut by the sharp edge of a dozen or more shuriken, which were still sunken deeply into her tender flesh.

He heard one of his teammates grimace and gag at the terrible scene that seemed to stretch on for miles. He would have been sympathetic had he not found her actions to be pathetic. The others were not doing the same. Even his cousin simply watch as another woman's vital fluids continued to mix with that of her husband's before pooling onto the soggy earth beneath their feet.

"W-What happened here?" The woman, Utae, stuttered. Only she looked upon the scene with horrified eyes, he, including his cousin and their leader, remain physically unaffected. And yet, emotionally they still harbored the distant disgust for whoever had slain these people.

The people, a clan called Higure, were supposed to be accompanied by the four of them on their journey to Konoha. They were a gentle and kind people. They didn't give into war's temptations. They weren't Shinobi for they didn't fight or kill unless they needed to. However, they were known to be strong. Their clan held many prodigies and great potential concerning the art of war and subterfuge. And surprisingly, some of their most prized and honored warriors were female. Not something Konoha had expected, but was proud to gain nonetheless.

Konoha had been in a tizzy ever since the clan had decided to become a part of them. As a whole, they were delighted to be gaining their alliance, but now…?

The group's leader frowned behind his cloth mask as he knelt beside a small child whose body had been slashed by the blade of a sword. Lifting his head from the carcass, he stared out at the many others who were in the same state or worse.

'_Who could have done this?_' the thought ran rampant through all of their minds.

They could tell this had been a deliberate slaughter—done by a group of hostile shinobi. Yet, for what reasons…? And why did they attack a clan on the move—one full of children and elderly? It just didn't make sense, as they would have been at a severe disadvantage even if the clan hadn't been burdened by the presence of the young and old.

After a while, Itachi's eyes began to water from the atrocious smell. Permeating the air was the stench of decay and spilt blood. It was offensive to the senses, yet made even more disgusting by the sleeting rain that pelted the ground, mixing and spreading the clans' blood into a soup of sorts.

Their leader stood from his crouched position just when his own eyes began to mist. He shook his head and covered his nose the best that he could with the back of his hand.

For some reason he was disappointed, not to mention frustrated. He couldn't believe they were all dead. If only they had been there a day earlier, they could have saved them from their unpleasant demise.

Nevertheless, they could not change fate. The family was gone—decimated by a mysterious band of shinobi who would unfortunately remain unknown and free despite their transgressions.

"We should go," their leader murmured. He was off to the side, looking away from the disfigured forms of the clan. The man's shoulders were slumped and his dull eyes held the weight of their findings. "The Hokage will want to know of this…this…." He sighed and his head bowed. "He will not be pleased to hear that the Higure clan is deceased."

No, the Hokage wouldn't be pleased. Itachi didn't doubt that their village's leader would be furious.

Utae's façade remained stricken as she stepped up to stand beside the discouraged man. "We shouldn't wait then, we should go now." She told him softly. "There's no point in wasting any more time here."

The others agreed with her. And as soon as they were ready, they began to walk away, but Itachi remained behind.

With a sigh of his own, he looked out at all the corpses. There was nothing they could do for the family. But still, the thought of burying them came to mind. However, it would only be a waste of time. They had no equipment to dig with, not to mention, the ground wouldn't turn over easily. The rocky mountain side would prevent them from digging far and the ice would only make the task more tedious.

Nevertheless, Itachi's eyes remained locked on the bloodied terrain. His crimson orbs never landed on one specific person as he took stock of what he could. There were so many dead; it was hard to count them all. Somehow, he managed and he was astounded by the sheer amount. More than one-hundred adults and children were gone, cold and rotting in an open grave full of ice and rocks.

Slowly and thoroughly he continued to analyze the land. A piece of it constantly caught his eye, always drawing him to a portion of earth that held a woman and her baby. For some reason, he thought he saw movement from that area that was bare except for the two of them.

But, whatever he had witnessed decided to remain still after his intense probing. Disappointed, although suspicious, he began to turn away. '_Perhaps, it was only the wind…?' _His mind supplied.

The wind happened to be fierce that night, blowing the cold rain into the faces of the shinobi. It bit against the skin and left behind a bitter sting. It hurt, though it was tolerable.

And yet, above the storm's ferocious howling, Itachi heard a strange noise. He had taken a few steps away, ready to leave these depressing lands, when he heard a cry. Startled, he turned back around.

His attention caught, he remained still, listening and watching, waiting and hoping. He patiently remained in his spot, when finally he heard it again and with his diligent eyes he witnessed what appeared to be more movement.

Eyes wide with realization, he quickly and methodically went about his search once more. His gaze picked away at the landscape, seeking for something—anything. His crimson gaze continually landed on the woman and her baby. And without a second thought, he ran to them.

Something told him to go to them. It urged him forward, insistent that he reach them quickly. '_The baby…it must be the baby.' _His mind screamed. He moved quickly, covering the distance effortlessly. And in no time, he was there, standing beside the woman who, on her death bed, had cradled her child to her bosom, perhaps hoping to stave off the bitter cold.

Itachi looked down upon the scene. The child in her arms was still, unmoving—a statue created by the snow. His usually indifferent eyes softened. She was a beautiful babe, with black hair that was only beginning to grow beyond her scalp and plump lips. They would have been a sweet red, he imagined.

The baby, as he first thought, wasn't moving or crying. She was stiff, frozen in an uncomfortable position against her mother's chest. '_It must have been my imagination. She is as dead as the rest.'_

"Itachi-san!" Utae called over the wind. "What are you doing?"

Itachi glanced back at his teammates. The woman had her hands cupped around her mouth trying to get her voice across the rocky plain. He was quite a far distance away from them and it was making it difficult to communicate with the fierce storm. He could barely hear her words above the wind's howling.

Nevertheless, he chose not to answer her. Instead he turned back to the little girl and her mother. He watched them sadly and when he was about to leave...

The child moved. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable. Her tiny hand shifted stiffly up to her chest and her head turned only slightly.

His eyes grew wide at the sight. '_Could it be?' _

Could it be that she was alive?

Unfortunately, she didn't repeat her movements, too cold, too weak to do it again. And even though Itachi wished to see it in order to confirm his findings, he didn't wait to take her slowly dying form into his arms.

Swiftly he swooped down to pick her up. As he cradled her he could see the almost imperceptible rise and fall of her chest. She was scarcely breathing, and if he didn't get her warm, she would probably stop all together. Yet, she was somehow, miraculously, alive.

'_Alive…!' _The thought brought a small, happy smirk to his lips. She was alive!

Turning about, with the little bundle in his arms, he unhurriedly walked back toward his companions—mindful of the fragile being cradled in his arms.

The babe seemed so very delicate. She was hardly moving, but when she did, it was toward the heat of his body. Taking pity on her, he wrapped his outer cloak around her form. He hoped to shield her from the wintery mix that seemed to be coming down on them with more force.

While gazing upon her, he began to wonder how long she had been exposed to the lands arctic conditions. After all, her mother must have passed on during the night and gone into Rigor Mortis within four hours. With the freezing cold, the stages of death had likely been accelerated, thusly turning the corpse of her mother cold before the normal twenty-four hour time period. By the fourth hour, her body would have been still, therefore leading to a quick cooling. If he had to guess, she had been facing the bitter cold for several long hours before they arrived—ten to twelve perhaps; too long for a baby.

And yet, she had fought to live. She did not die, she had survived. Of course, with her mother's generous sacrifice, she must have been pretty well protected from the cold. Even though her mother had died, she'd still helped to save her child by staving off the bitter wind with her frozen and stiff body. Although, she couldn't have given her child heat for long, she'd managed to shelter her even in death.

It was a miracle, if he had to say anything about it. "The kami must favor you, that or you're very luck." He muttered softly into her chilly little ear. Gaze softening, he brought her closer to his chest hoping that his body temperature would bring some life into her blue lips and pale cheeks.

"ITACHI!"

The yell was close by. Glancing up, he noticed that he had covered a fair bit of ground while he lost himself in thought. The others were only a few meters away, staring at him with intense although suspicious eyes. And after only a few short minutes, he was beside them.

"What do you think you were doing?" The leader inquired.

Itachi didn't answer; instead he opened his winter cloak. Every single member of the group gasped as they spied the little girl that was situated in his grasps. They couldn't believe what they were seeing, nor did they understand it.

"Itachi-sama?" The other male member of the group inquired. He was looking at Itachi with narrowed eyes, eyes that were the same crimson red as the young boy's.

Itachi only glanced at the man, who happened to be one of his many cousins. "I need not explain myself." He retorted, replacing the cloak over the baby in order to keep her warm and comfortable.

His cousin merely started at him, but did not say anything that might upset his future patriarch. He knew not to over step his bounds. Itachi may have been young, but he was no push over. "Forgive me, Itachi-sama. I simply do not understand why you carry with you one of the dead?"

"I'd like to know as well, Itachi." His leader commanded. "Also why you left…?"

The young pre-teen sighed. "If you actually took the time to look, you might have noticed that she's alive." He stated simply, hardly deterred by their questions. In all actuality, he was quite frustrated. Could they not see? Surely they'd noticed she was moving and breathing…?

"That's impossible," Utae exclaimed.

Apparently not, he was unhelpfully surrounded by imbeciles.

Despite his growing agitation, the young boy respectfully shook his head to her reply. No, it wasn't impossible that his little charge was alive. She might have gone through hell and back, but her survival wasn't impossible.

"Let me see her then." Utae demanded harshly. Itachi watched the woman through narrowed eye, greatly perturbed by the order. "You do not know what to do. If she warms to quickly, she could die." Her voice cracked, and Itachi frowned. "So, let me have her. I know what to do."

Utae reached out to grab the little girl, intent on taking her away from him. But Itachi pulled away, unwilling to have her help.

He wasn't particularly thrilled that she wished to take his charge away from him. He had been the one to find her, and although he might have been young, he wasn't a fool. He could take care of her, despite his young age. "No," he said stiffly, glaring at the woman's out stretched hands. He could keep her safe and warm, just as well as Utae could. He knew how the body worked, knew the consequences of hypothermia. He could take care of her as well as the next person.

"What do you mean no?" the woman stood to her full height, glaring down upon him with a reprimand in her dull brown eyes. She was a mother, he was just a boy. What could he possibly do for the tiny little thing?

"No," he said, staring away from the person who wished to take away what he found to be _his_. He had found her, she was his responsibility now. And he would not shirk his duties.

"Leave it be Utae-san," His cousin laid a hand on the woman's tense shoulder. He gazed at Itachi for only a second, before returning his eyes to Utae. "There is nothing you can do now that my cousin's mind is made up."

"But…?" The woman tried and failed to retaliate, however his cousin knew him too well. He firmly told her to cease, before she did anything stupid against the Uchiha prodigy.

"Enough of your chattering, Utae," Their leader muttered when she continued to disagree. "Let us return home." He said, glancing at the youngest of his team. "The sooner we leave, the sooner the child will be safe."

Itachi agreed fully. The sooner they returned to Konoha, the better. "I'll protect you, little one." He whispered to her. No matter what dangers came to pass, he would keep her safe. That being something he could promise her.

Just as they were leaving, Utae incessantly complaining all the while, Itachi decided to observe his little charge. He wanted to see if she had any injuries or her condition had worsened. It would be a long journey back to Konoha, and though he would be able to see how she was doing along the way, he wanted to see how she was fairing at that moment. But when he pulled back his cloak, he didn't expect to witness her awake and coherent.

Her eyes were wide open, and she gazed up at him with silent wonder. Those deep pools were a colorful and lively cerulean blue, with specks of green along the iris. As he stared down upon her, he couldn't help but fall in love with the tiny infant in his arms. She was perfect, beautiful—and he vowed, right then and there, to always keep her close by.

'_I promise to look after and care for you, little one; forever and always._' He thought as he followed after his companions, gladly leaving the desolate land of ice behind.


	2. Chapter 1

**Forever and Always**

**-Chapter 1: Shaky Beginnings-**

After a week of traveling, he was finally home. The family compound loomed just beyond a courtyard a few meters away. Strange as it was, its walls allowed Itachi a small measure of comfort.

He was pleased to be back even though he normally wouldn't be. During the time it took to return to Konoha, he had perfected his plan to keep the little girl he still held in his arms. All he had to do was show his Okaa-sama, and she would hopefully take care of the rest.

He smirked as the gates to the large compound passed overhead. It would take a bit of manipulation on his part, but he was certain that with a little bit of sweet talking she'd fall right into his hands. His mother, after all, could not turn away a baby, let alone a baby _girl_.

Rolling his eyes, he continued down the busy street. Clan members repeatedly stopped to greet him, saluting his return after another successful mission—at least, that's what they expected. They didn't know it had gone terribly wrong.

As usual he received praise right and left, which he ignored and returned with a bland expression. He never really enjoyed such deceitful chatter. In any case, they were only giving in order to get what they wanted later on—his attention. It was disgusting really, and he abhorred the lot of them for it. Yet, he remained courteous despite his annoyance.

"Welcome back, Itachi-sama!" An elderly woman he'd seen many times before greeted him.

He stopped in the street and cocked his head to the side. "Thank you, Obaa-san," he said, inclining his head in her direction.

He knew the woman to be a fairly open individual who wore her heart on her sleeve. She was always greeting him no matter what he was doing, whether it was returning from a mission or simply taking a stroll around the clan's compound.

"What do you have there, child?" She asked, straining her bent neck forward in order to see what he held in his arms.

Itachiadvanced toward the elderly woman cautiously. With deliberate care, he unfolded the small baby blanket away from his charges face. Once the outer layer had gone, the babe's head, which rested tiredly against his chest, was displayed for the old woman to see.

She gasped, much like his companions had at the sight of the little bundle, before cooing softly. "Isn't she just precious," she murmured, smiling.

"Aa," he affirmed witha nod, agreeing with the old Uchiha shopkeeper.

The lady simply grinned at him, while her eyes gleamed with something he couldn't quite fathom. Feeling he had spent enough time conversing with her, he moved away and headed down the street. The elderly woman said her goodbyes, which he ignored.

As he made his way down the business district of the compound, more and more of his kin stopped what they were doing to curiously gaze at the tiny baby in his arms.

It didn't bother Itachi much. He understood that his clan mates would want to know what was going on. It wasn't everyday that they saw him cradling and caring for a child that wasn't his brother. And it intrigued them.

Sighing, Itachi took the brunt of their stares while trying to shield the little girl in his arms the best that he could. She'd probably start crying if she woke to their probing red eyes. And he really didn't like the idea of her crying. When she did, she was quite loud and very insistent. He'd already experienced a few of her tantrums on the way back to Konoha. Luckily, they had been few and far in between, for she remained quite calm otherwise.

Yet, when those few moments had taken place, Utae had become a very comforting presence. As much as Itachi hated to admit it, the woman did know what she was doing. At points were it became too much for the young boy to handle, she'd willingly stepped up and answered the needs of his charge while giving him a break.

For these reasons, the trek home had taken much longer. The presence of a child made everything more difficult. During those seven days of travel, he'd learned that child rearing wasn't easy. It was tedious, complicated, and taxing. Nevertheless, he'd come to understand why people loved children, babies especially. After all, when she gazed at him with her large blue eyes, and smiled…it took his breath away. Taking care of her _had_ been strenuous, but the little moments full of her laughter and smiles made all of the effort worth his while.

Lost in his thoughts, Itachididn't notice that he was at the main house until he had passed through the large gates. Glancing up from the babe in his arms, his eyes took in the sight of his home with no real enthusiasm. For some reason, he sincerely hoped his Otou wasn't there, for it would be much more difficult to persuade his Okaa-sama if he was present. The man could be a bastard sometimes.

Itachi knew that his Otou cared for him—perhaps even loved him. After all, he was just like any other father—proud of his family; proud of his sons. But over time, his Otou'shead had bloated withhis pride. It was hard to speak with him civilly any more, and as a result he had drifted away from his Otou. He couldn't stand the arrogance and superiority the man seemed to harbor and exude on a daily basis. It was because of his father's behavior that he didn't try to please him anymore. Now, he simply did things for his own benefit while still remaining loyal to his village and family.

Taking his mind off such depressing thoughts, Itachi moved to enter his home. He knew his mother would be inside somewhere, at least, he hoped she would be.

Careful to not wake the sleeping child in his arms, Itachi slowly slid the shoji screen open. The infant barely stirred except to move her head. He smiled down upon her as she rested her cheek against his chest and snuggled into his warmth.

After sliding the screen closed, just as slowly and silently as he had opened it, he removed his sandals before trudging his way further into his home. He decided that it would be best to find his Okaa-sama. The sooner he did the better outcome he would have.

He ambled through his home gracefully, searching for his mother in the places he knew she dwelt the most. With this strategy in mind, he found his mother quickly.

Today, like most days, she was in the kitchen. Sasuke sat at her hip, hugging her side and watching as she cooked something for dinner.

Sasuke had just turned nine months a few weeks prior to Itachi's mission. Unlike most babies his age, he was more attentive to the world around him. Their father thought he might be another prodigy, much like his elder brother. But Itachiknew the truth. His little brother was indeed very intelligent; however he was no prodigy, just inquisitive and a bright young boy.

"Okaa-sama," he called—his voice aloof but still holding a semblance of a whine.

She turned when she heard his voice. He could tell she was stunned to see him, as it was written all over her face. "Itachi!" she exclaimed, "Are you alright? Did your mission go well? We were worried sick about you!"

Itachi sighed. He loved his mother, but she talked too much. "Aa," he affirmed for her benefit.

His Okaa-sama's shoulders slumped, as though she were relieved of a great weight. And no doubt she had been, for he was sure she _had_been worried. "Thank the kami," she breathlessly murmured, her free hand going to her chest. "I'm so glad you're okay, but…?"

Only then did she seem to notice the infant in his arms. Her eyes widened comically, and for some reason Itachi couldn't quite restrain his slight smirk. '_How amusing,' _he thought.

"Itachi…?" He nodded. "W-What is…I mean, why do have a baby with you?"

Without thinking, he bluntly answered. "I found her."

His Okaa-samablinked, gazing at him with very dark grey eyes. "Off the street?" She asked.

Itachi didn't know what to think. Of course he didn't find her '_off the street_!' What in Kami's name was his mother thinking? "No," he replied, his brow twitching.

"Itachi, then where did you find her?" She queried seriously.

His mother walked toward him, looking stern, while still holding Sasuke in her arms. As she neared, his otoutoleaned out from her side grasping at him with a smile on his face. Itachi leaned back, frowning. He did love his little brother very much, but he couldn't take him at the moment, his hands were already full.

Just as Mikotowas about to laugh at both of her son's antics, something strange happened. Sasuke leaned farther down, cooing and babbling madly. Instead of reaching for Itachi like they had expected, his chubby little hand moved to touch the girl in Itachi's arms.

At the incessant chatter, Itachi's charge slowly woke from her slumber. Startled by the new presences, she hid her face in his shirt, whimpering. "It's alright little one," he whispered comfortingly into her ear, but she continued to cling to him despite his attempts to sooth her.

Sasuke, undeterred, continued to babble at the other infant as he tried unsuccessful to get her to look at him.

As for Mikoto, she simply watched this exchange with a surprised yet curious gaze. It would seem that her eldest son had gotten the infant to see him as someone who could protect her; otherwise she would not be clinging to Itachi the way that she was.

It left her questioning why. As a mother, she knew it took more than a few hours for an infant to feel secure with someone who wasn't their parent or sibling. So why then was Itachi able to comfort her when he barely knew the child? It made her very suspicious.

"My, my," she began; speak softly so that she didn't scare the already distraught child. "Aren't you just the charmer Itachi?" She chuckled, but her eyes were guarded. Despite her teasing tone she was serious in her pursuit to get answers.

Itachi glared at his Okaa-sama, finding no humor in the situation.

Mikotoonly laughed, waving her hand placating. With a knowing smile on her face, she moved back into the kitchen. She placed Sasuke on his mat before turning around to confront her eldest son once more.

"Now tell me where you found her." She stated calmly. She sighed when he frowned. Sometimes her son was just too intuitive for his own good. "I'm going to have to call your father, and you know it. You don't just find a baby, Itachi."

Itachi wasn't happy. In fact, he was downright disappointed. "No, Okaa-sama." He replied firmly. She couldn't call his Otou; everything would be for naught if she did.

"I'm sorry young man, but…"

"The mission went wrong," He haltingly grumbled.

Feeling fatigued, he went to sit down. His charge was heavy, and though he could easily carry her all over the place, the situation and the long travel was making him feel drained.

Not only that, but Itachididn't want to cause a conflict with his mother. Actually, he would avoid it at all costs. He just hoped that he could convince her to keep the little girl without having to strain and push her in order to get what he wanted.

It seemed that he was quite attached to the little bundle in his arms, and he really didn't want to let her go. There was just something about her that…that made him feel whole again.

"W-What?" Mikoto asked.

He huffed, but answered nonetheless. "We were supposed to escort a clan to Konoha," He glanced at his mother who was nodding. She'd already known that his mission was to collect the Higure clan and bring them to Konoha. She unfortunately didn't seem to know what had happened though. "When we arrived," he continued, "They were all dead."

He heard her gasp.

But he didn't look up, instead he choose to continue. "She was almost dead. It had been raining sleet and snow, and it was cold. Her kaa-san was already gone when I found her." Without glancing at his mother who he knew would be distraught, he set his dull eyes on the infant taking comfort in his arms. He smirked as he brushed his fingers through her black tuff of hair. It was very fine—almost felt like silk.

"Oh!" his Okaa-samacried. Her hand flew to her mouth, trying to cover up her trembling jaw. "The poor thing," She whispered, with tears in her eyes. "Itachi, let me see her."

Her son frowned, but obeyed nonetheless. Unlike Utae, he trusted his Okaa-sama to know what she was doing.

Prying the child's hand from his shirt, he gently coaxed her away from his body. However, she didn't want to let go of him. And when he tried to force her to let go, she began to whine.

It was only when Mikoto finally took a hold of her that she began to cry. His Okaa-sama swiftly comforted the hysterical infant. She sang and bounced her around the small kitchen, while rubbing her back and shushing her.

Itachiwatched his mother sooth the crying girl. And in no time, his charge quieted down—somehow, reassured by the soft voice and gentle hands of the woman holding her.

"There, there baby. There, there. It's alright, you're okay." His mother cooed, continuing with her comforting.

When the cradled child had quieted down enough, Mikoto sighed. Slowly, so not to startle her, she methodically went about checking the baby for any injuries or abnormalities. She didn't find any, but even then she wasn't satisfied.

"Did you take her to the hospital, Itachi?" Looking to her son, her gaze softened. He was a peculiar boy, but he was a good one too.

Itachi glance toward his mother's eyes. He really hadn't been paying attention. Rather, he'd wanted to drown out his charges wails. It almost physically hurt to hear them. "What?"

"Itachi, you did take her to the hospital didn't you?"

He shook his head to answer her question. "No," he replied.

Truthfully, he'd completely forgotten to take her to a healer. Once he'd stepped through Konoha's gates, he could only think of getting her home were she'd be out of harm's way.

"Uchiha, Itachi!" She reprimanded.

He flinched. He may have been a prodigy and a shinobi, but even he knew that tone, the one that said you were in big trouble.

His mother huffed. "Well, did you report to the Hokage, or forget that too?"

He didn't cringe this time, but was quick to answer. "No, I was going to do that after I cleaned up."

Mikoto raised one delicate brow. Her son was usually very good about his duties; however, today he seemed to be falling behind. And Mikoto had some idea as to why. "Itachi," she said softly, "She'll be safe with me. You can go and do what you need to. I'll watch after her."

Itachi gazed at his Okaa-sama with a newly found affection. However, the battle wasn't over yet. He knew it wasn't. "You won't give her away, will you?" He frowned when she did. For some reason, he wasn't completely sure of her motives.

Mikotogazed down upon the tiny bundle in her arms. It was only in her eyes that he saw the growing love, yet it was faint. He couldn't be sure what she was feeling, but he could tell there was something there—something he might be able to work with.

Finally, his mother looked at him. Answering seriously, she said: "No Itachi, I won't give her away. But we will need to take her to the hospital…"

He didn't like that statement. "No," he murmured.

She gave him an exasperated look. "Itachi," she sighed, "She needs to be looked at."

He was hesitant to comply, but knew he couldn't push any more. His mother's mind was made. Whatever she'd decided, he wouldn't have a say in it. "Very well," he said stiffly. "I'm going to the Hokage."

Mikoto nodded. "Don't worry, my son, we'll be back before you are."

Itachi bowed his head in consent. He was about to leave, but stopped. Turning to his mother, his eyes were cold and his voice even more so. "What of Otou? He will not be pleased."

Mikoto huffed, yet remained calm in the face of her son's stoic behavior. "I will deal with him." She replied. "Now, go. You cannot be late."

"Hai!" He turned away and then he was gone—vanished. Mikoto watched for only a moment before deciding to go back into the kitchen. Once there, she set the infant down next to Sasuke, who was still babbling about something.

Shaking her head, she stood. She supposed that she always had wanted a little girl. It would be nice not being surrounded by all boys. "And besides, you are the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. No wonder Itachi took a liking to you—such striking blue eyes."

The child merely blinked at her as she lay on the mat next to Sasuke. Mikoto couldn't restrain her smile, it faltered a moment later when she remembered something.

Cupping her hand to her mouth, eyes impossibly wide, she screeched: "Oh no! _My stew!" _And thenshe ran, using all of her Kunoichi strength to get her to the stove-top on time.

From the mat, both babies watched on. Then one began to cry while the other simply giggled at Mikoto's odd behavior.

Mikoto glanced back from her spot next to the stove. A bright, harried smile strained her lips. "Well, since supper is ruined, I guess there's no point in waiting to go to the Hospital. Besides, we wouldn't want your aniki to be mad at me. Oh no, we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

They quieted and stared at her uncomprehendingly. Yet, the peaceful quiet didn't last long, and before she knew it, they were both crying.

Mikoto sighed. She really hoped this wouldn't become a habit.

.

.

.

Itachi sat in an uncomfortable waiting room chair outside of the Hokage's office. The old leader was busy, perhaps speaking to another team or maybe even an immigrating citizen from a different land. Whatever it might be, he was occupied and was making Itachi wait.

Itachi hated waiting. Actually it grated on his nerves terribly; as waiting meant a delay and a delay only caused frustration. He didn't like being frustrated, thus he didn't like waiting.

As he sat there, contemplating leaving all together, he took the time to stare at the finished report on his lap. It had taken him a full hour to detail the events of the last two weeks, further shortening his already miniscule fuse.

He sighed tiredly, but remained straight backed and professional. It wouldn't do to make the situation worse. After all, he didn't want a conflict.

However, his exasperation hadn't gone unnoticed. The Sandaime's secretary leaned over her desk staring at him questioningly. "Are you alright Itachi-san? Might I get you something, water or maybe tea…?"

She trailed off at the look he gave her. He was in no mood to deal with anybody, let alone her. All he wanted to do was go home, see how his charge was doing and have a nice long nap.

Suddenly, the door to the Hokage's office opened. A man and women stepped out form the shadowed doorway, appearing solemn and resigned. They wore odd apparel and carried strange weapons. The man appeared to be a monk and the woman a shrine maiden. From the outside they seemed pure and innocent, but Itachiwasn't fooled. Hidden under carefully created facades, they were both warriors. They exuded the presence of one, as they were completely cloaked in their need to protect and serve.

As they passed him by, the man's staff clanked. The golden circles adorning the top of the staff swayed as he moved lethally down the hallway. The woman, on the other hand, had a bow strapped to her back and a small, ornate dagger at her side. Unlike the man, she glanced his way. He stared at her wonderingly, but kept a perfectly crafted frown on his face.

She, on the other hand, did no such thing. Her face was a mask of indifference while her eyes were hooded with a veil that kept him from knowing her emotions. The eye contact lasted only a second before she turned back around and left silently with her partner by her side.

Itachi could only watch them go as he sat and did nothing. Only momentarily did he wonder who they might be.

"Itachi-san," said the Hokage's assistant. "Sarutobi-sama will see you now."

He nodded as he stood calmly and walked into the old leader's office. Once inside, he closed the door silently behind him and turned to face the Third Hokage.

Inside, the lights were dimmed, shadowing and disguising the man behind the desk. It was very strange as it was usually very bright in the room. It made Itachi quite curious…? "I have brought my report, Sandaime-sama." Itachi said routinely as he pushed his thoughts aside. He could ponder over them later.

Setting the large file on the man's ornate desk, Itachi quickly stepped away to stand in the middle of the room with his hands behind back. He watched his leader carefully as he leaned forward to take the large document. Aged hands gripped the massive file before setting it on top of a larger stack to examine in detail later on.

"Good," the man murmured, glancing briefly at the young prodigy in front him. He said no more as he continued with his earlier ministrations.

Just then, he began to etch more words onto a scroll, documenting something or another. Itachi didn't know what exactly the old man was writing, but he was sure it was critical in some way or another.

Hesitant, but impatient to return home, Itachi was quick to asked: "Is that all, sir?"

The Hokage didn't answer immediately, instead he continued to write.

Itachi's eye twitched, but otherwise he remained impassive.

"I would have expected you much earlier, Young Uchiha." The Hokagestated, continuing withhis task as though his conversation with the boy was not all that important. "Would you mind telling me why you are late…Hmm?"

Itachi was quiet for a moment. "Forgive me Sandaime-sama. There is…was no excuse for my tardiness." The man hummed at his answer; if he was satisfied with the response or not, Itachi didn't know.

"Your teammates have already informed me of what happened. I must admit…I am quite disappointed." He said solemnly, finally shifting his eyes away from the scroll. His wizened gaze connected with Itachi's, just staring at him.

"Aa" The young man affirmed.

"Indeed," Sarutobi replied stoically. "They also informed me that you found a child."

Itachi blinked but did not counter the man's statement.

The Hokage observed the Uchiha with no small amount of interest. He'd come to know the child very well over the years, and he found his behavior to be very odd. The Itachi he understood would not have stopped to save a dying baby.

"Were your comrades' correct Itachi? Did you find a child?"

The young Uchiha prodigy nodded. "Hai, I did."

"Hmm…" The old leader turned back to his scroll. He wrote slowly, methodically across the parchment, being completely careful so not to smudge the drying ink. "I see. Might you tell me what she looks like? And I ask that you don't leave out any details, however minor they might be."

Sarutobi glanced at the young shinobi, taking stock of the young man.

Itachi stood still. His dull grey eyes gazed down at the floor as he contemplated. "She's small," he began, "twenty pounds at the most. Her eyes are blue and her hair…black. No…perhaps a very dark brown, it's not black per say…?"

Sarutobi nodded. He returned his brown eyes to the scroll and proceeded to inscribe words upon the parchment once again. "Continue."

Itachi frowned, wondering why he had to describe an infant in such detail. What could the man be possibly looking for? "She's rather pale and she has a scar on her ankle, perhaps from a fall. Her temperament is mild, although if triggered she can be very persistent and_ insistent_…?"

The Hokage grinned and a small chuckle escaped his lips. "Sounds like my son when he was young." He said, smiling. "But what I need to know is if she has any peculiar markings. It's very important. I must know if she has any such thing at all."

Itachi was silent for a moment, his eyes diligently focused on the ground as he thought. "The only mark I can think of…is the one on her pelvis. When Utae was changing her once, she noticed what appeared to be a scar on her right hip."

Sarutobi's eyes shot up to Itachi's. "What did it look like?" He commanded forcefully.

Itachi drew back slightly, although it wasn't enough to notice. For some reason, he was startled by the callous demand. Nonetheless, he replied: "It appeared to be a star in shape," he began quietly, almost apprehensively. "But there were more than four or five points. It was jagged and there was a…a crescent in the center. It was dark and discolored as though someone had burned it onto her skin."

The elder's gaze widened. He stood from his seat; his knees creaking form the strain. He grunted as he trudged his way around his desk. He came to stand in front of the Uchiha, gazing down on him with serious brown eyes. "You are sure of this, Itachi?"

Itachi's impassive façade faded to be replaced by one of interest. What could possibly make his leader ask him that? "I can assure you," he said, "that I am sure."

Sarutobi glanced down to the floor as he analyzed his thoughts and calculated a plan of action. Without another word he walked away from the young boy and moved to stand before his window overlooking the southern portion of Konoha. "You will bring her to me immediately, Young Uchiha. Do you understand?"

Itachi glared, unwilling to follow such an order but knowing that he had to. "Hai, sir" He replied.

"Then you are dismissed."

The boy glared at the old Hokage's back but decided to leave. He had to follow his orders, no matter what. He was loyal to his village, and he would not dishonor his leader. Therefore, he left—disappearing into the night like a phantom. He would do as his leader asked and find his charge. Thankfully, he knew just were to look.

Once the boy was gone, Sarutobi moved back to desk. He sat down slowly, his joints protesting all the way, before sighing and pressing a button on his intercom. His hands shook as it beeped once and connected to the person he wished to speak to.

_"Hai, Hokage-sama?" _the very feminine voice queried on the end of the line.

He took a deep breath. "Chio," He answered, "please send a Jounin to retrieve the two Higure clansmen who just left. I believe they will be quite pleased to hear what I have found."

_"Very well, Hokage-sama, I will get on that quickly."_

"Thank you, Chio." He said, disconnecting the line. He leaned back in his chair as the room went silent. He smiled into the night, happily mulling over his thoughts. Yes, the Higure clan would be quite pleased indeed.


	3. Chapter 2

**Forever & Always**

**-Chapter 2: Discovering Pink-**

* * *

"I must say, I have never seen anything like this before. This child…I know not where to begin. It is simply a miracle." A white robed medic said as he sat down next to Mikoto.

The young mother blinked. "In what way?" She questioned irritably.

The reason for the Uchiha Matriarch's ill-humor was due in part to the man in front of her. Mikoto would admit that she was a relatively easygoing woman; however, she wasn't impervious to blatant idiocy. Especially after sitting in a sterile waiting room for over two hours, her patience was a bit thin. But to have a hasty and inconsiderate greeting followed by the half-baked comment had sent her temper overboard.

The man in question shifted uneasily as the Uchiha's dark eyes bore into him. He pushed his rectangular glasses up his nose and then hastily flipped through the pages of charts and data.

"Simply speaking, Uchiha-sama, your young ward should be dead." He said.

Mikoto sneered at the tactless man. "Simply speaking, Kingo, whether she should or should not be something is of no importance. What I would like to know is what her health is now and if there is a need for treatment. Is she even receiving any?"

Kingo pursed his lips. "No, she is not."

"And why might that be?"

Eyes hardening, the medic leaned forward. He set the charts down on the carpeted floor then proceeded to massage his neck. "Because, madam, there is no need for it."

Mikoto quirked a brow in incredulity as her temper flared. "You cannot tell me that after two hours you have done nothing but tests."

Kingo shrugged. "It was necessary. And we ended up learning quite a bit."

"Could you possibly explain?"

The somber medic was quiet as he placed his thoughts in order. He fingered the papers on his metal clip board, his hazel eyes gleaming with curiosity. Yet, his face said a different story. He was dubious of the results. Mikoto could see it was making him frustrated.

The medic-nin huffed. "The thing is, Uchiha-sama, we found some very startling information. We ended up doing several tests, some more than once, in order to confirm that the results were in fact valid. At first we didn't even believe that they could be!" Kingo paused, his expression becoming grave. Mikoto remained silent. She knew that when he was ready he would resume. She need only be patient. "It was unexpected, but the results showed evidence of hemorrhaging in the hepatic and right gastroepiploic arteries. From the scans we can only assume it was due to some blunt force trauma. And then there was the damage to the colon. At one point it had been critically lacerated due to some foreign intrusion, of which we have not been able to determine the origins of. On her pelvis, over top of the previous injury, she has third degree burns, which we think may have been purposefully inflicted. Beyond this she has scars from numerous abrasions and lacerations, mostly healed, with a few in the process of mending. In addition, there are signs of third and fourth degree frostbite, coupled with residual hypothermia. She is also dehydrated." Again he paused. He then forced his eyes to bore into hers as he said: "To say the least ma'am, it is very much a miracle that she is healthy let alone alive."

Mikoto's eye twitched. "You called that healthy?"

"Yes," he said slowly, "The thing is, beyond the dehydration and a slightly below average temperature, she is fine."

It was obvious now why the medic was incredulous. "That can't be possible."

"You're right, it shouldn't be."

"Well, then it must be wrong."

The medic shook his head. "We have done the tests twice, and are doing a third round. So far, there have been no changes to the results, and we certainly don't expect there to be any for the third set either."

Mikoto was silent.

Beside her, Kingo shifted nervously as his eyes darted from her to his hands. She knew what he wanted, but unfortunately she was unwilling to oblige. It wasn't her place after all, nor did she have all the information that he needed. Her son had only told her the bare minimum, and unfortunately it wasn't enough to make claims or sprout epiphanies.

In fact, Mikoto was far more confused now than she had been before she had arrived at the hospital. How could she have been so negligent as to miss such critical signs? Of course, it should have been obvious. Itachi had said they had found the child in a state close to death. No wonder she had been so unresponsive and yet desperate to remain with Itachi. She had been in a far worse condition than Mikoto could have imagined.

With a heavy sigh, Mikoto stood. "I must thank you for all that you and your staff has done."

"You are most welcome, Uchiha-sama." Kingo said, seeming surprised. "It is always our pleasure."

"I am sure." She quipped. "Now then, may I go and see her or are there more forms to be filled out? I know that with my son I must always sign a release form…"

Kingo looked uncomfortable, but his expression quickly solidified into a stern frown. "I am sorry, madam, but we will not be able to release her to you."

"Excuse me?"

Kingo sighed. "This situation is a unique one. Unfortunately, due to her previous condition, we will need to bring this matter up to the Hokage." At this statement he looked tired. No doubt, such matters required more paperwork than he was willing to do. "Not to mention, as you are not the legal guardian of the child, you will not be able to take her with you. And so, once we find her health to be suitably stable, we will release her to the appropriate authorities."

"But it is I who brought her here. And it was my son who found her. Does that not give us a claim?" Mikoto asked.

The medic shook his head. "No. While commendable, your actions don't give you credence as guardians."

"Well, I—"

Before she could finish, Mikoto was interrupted by a bug-eyed intern who stared at the two adults in trepidation. "Sir," the girl queried hesitantly from behind the attendants desk.

"What is it Mika-san?" Kingo asked, looking utterly relieved by the intrusion.

His expression seemed to calm the girl enough that she smiled. "Naoki-sama would like to see you in the back. She says it's urgent."

"I see." Turning back to Mikoto, he said. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience Uchiha-sama. But that is our policy. I do hope you have a good day though." Metal clip board under his arm, he bowed slightly before leaving.

Teeth grinding together in frustration, Mikoto turned away. She picked up her purse calmly and made her way to the sliding glass doors, making sure to compose her face into an acceptably indifferent expression. Only once did she stop in her trek, and that was simply to wish the attendant well, before exiting the Emergency Center entirely.

Once outside she breathed deeply, trying to plan her next move. Suddenly she smiled. Her lips twisted viciously as she slowly but purposefully walked down the street. Why she hadn't realized it before, she didn't know. But, if the hospital was to release the young child to any authority it would be Child Protective Services. Interesting enough, Konoha CPS was run, not by the government sector as with other villages, but by the Police Force. It was a recent development, due in part to a certain jinchuriki. But even so there was one man, a certain Head of the Force, who she could see that could possibly get her custody of her son's little ward. After all, what use was her husband, if he couldn't pull a few strings?

.

.

.

"I know what I saw, Kingo-sama," Naoki hissed to the senior medic-nin. Her hands fisted at her side as she breathed through her nose heavily. She felt rather ridiculous standing in the hallway with men and women passing by while she tried to explain the highly disturbing occurrences that had taken place while Kingo was talking to the Uchiha.

Yet, he continued to remain unaffected by her words. And she was becoming exceedingly frustrated with the fact alone. He looked at her solemnly, without a spark of suspicion in his eye. However, he spoke to her as though she were an over imaginative child. And it just made her want to scream.

"Naoki, I'm sure it was only a reflection from the lamp light." The man said carefully. He frowned at the young nurse, but was otherwise composed.

"I know what I saw." She hissed, though she wanted to yell.

The man was being so unhelpful. She knew that he didn't believe her. Hell, most of the other nurses and healers who had taken care of the small child were skeptical of what they'd seen, writing it off as something else or nothing at all—just a figment of their imagination. But she_ knew_ that she wasn't crazy; she knew what she'd seen was real.

"How can a reflection be pink and only in one place?" She tried to reason. "It was bright and it pulsed; how can a reflection pulse?"

The medic sighed, tired of Naoki's tirade. Of course, he wasn't surprised either. After all of the strange results they had gotten back from the diagnostic tests, her story was actually rather tame in comparison. However, he was disinclined to believe it simply because it was impossible. The child was too young to perform a jutsu, and he had never heard of any genjutsu to have a pink, pulsing flare. Truthfully, he was willing to believe anything, but as a medic he needed to think objectively. "Naoki-san, enough." He said sternly. "Right now is not the time to be making wild claims."

The nurse flinched at his harsh tone. "Kingo-sama," she murmured imploringly, tears of frustration and humiliation forming in her eyes. "Please listen to me. This was like nothing I have ever seen before." She told him. "You remember seeing the mark on her hip. Remember it looked like a burn…?"

Kingo couldn't help but huff. The young nurse was quite a persistent little thing. "Yes, I remember the mark." He assuaged, "It was much like a brand, something chattel would have."

Naoki nodded vigorously. "Hai! And we tried to remove it after you left…"

Kingo frowned. He'd never told them to remove the mark, having felt that it was of no real consequence. The mark hadn't been recent in the least. It would have been difficult to remove with chakra alone—time consuming and tedious. So he had let the matter slide. For them to have gone and done it anyway—without his consent—it was surprising. As the head medic of the case, they were supposed to consult him.

"You were not supposed to go ahead and do such a thing without my approval." He reprimanded, glaring down upon her.

Naoki tensed, unsure of how to proceed. She hadn't been the one to try it; that had been the actions of another medic, but she hadn't disagreed either. "Yes well…that's just the thing. Mina-sama had tried to get rid of it…"

"What do you mean tried?" Kingo queried. How odd that she would say such a thing. What could have possibly taken place while he wasn't present to observe them?

The young nurse licked her lips nervously, before glancing up into the senior medical officer's eyes. "The mark wouldn't be removed however hard Mina-sama tried. And then…the infant started screaming as though Mina-sama's chakra was hurting her. She stopped but the baby just kept screaming. And then, the mark…it started glowing this bright pink light—and it began pulsing whenever we tried to get near her."

Kingo was not a superstitious man. However, Naoki's tale made him very uneasy. It just didn't make sense. "Naoki, I must ask you to never speak a word of this to another person outside of the team."

"Please, I know what I saw!" Naoki said. Her eyes beginning to tear up again; she was so frustrated.

Sighing, the medic decided it was time to move on. He could discuss the topic with Naoki later, but at the moment they both had duties to attend to. Standing in the middle of the corridor, debating confidential material would draw too much negative attention.

"Naoki-san, let us reconvene with this conversation later. I have things I need to attend to; as I'm sure you do as well. If you don't mind, I will be going now."

Naoki huffed, thoroughly unsatisfied by the turn of events. "Of course, Kingo-sama." She replied bitterly. "I would not want to _inconvenience_ you."

Kingo's eyes softened. "My apologies, Naoki-san. I do not mean to be harsh, but I must go quickly for I have someone waiting on me. But I promise we will speak of this matter later, alright?"

Since there was no other option, she agreed. Kingo left swiftly afterward, headed for the pediatric ward to meet up with his next appointment. Naoki, on the other hand, stood in the same spot against the corridor wall, her thoughts residing upon the strange child in Ward B.

She felt that there was something different about that girl and she was determined to find out what it could be, even if it meant hounding the senior medic or even an on staff ANBU. She knew what she had seen wasn't her imagination, no one just glowed. It was not possible. There was something else, something different. Now, if she could just figure out what that could be…?

.

.

.

Kingo entered Ward B confidently. He strode down the main aisle toward the furthest room on the left. Each room he passed contained a child. Some had parents, but the majority was bare of people. It wasn't so unusual for the time of day, but it was still depressing. So as he passed, Kingo took the time to stop in and ask after the occupant.

The head medic prided himself on making his patients comfortable, especially the children. He also prided himself on knowing each and every one of their names. It wasn't much, and he truthfully couldn't do much more, but most of his patients were simply happy to be remembered.

So he made his way down the line of doors, poking his head in with a comment here and there. He spent a good forty minutes chatting with the Ward's other children before he finally made it to Room 232.

When he entered, he was not shocked to see a young man standing beside the baby's acrylic basinet. He had been told a while ago of the shinobi's presence, since the nin had arrived at the hospital nearly an hour after his mother. The boy had apparently presented an order by the Hokage to bring the child to headquarters, which in hindsight he should have expected. But, they hadn't been able to follow through with it since, at the time, they had just finished their first round of tests—the results of which they had believed to be wrong. Now, however, they could not keep her under their custody. The results from the third set were exactly the same as the last two. There could be no mistakes.

"Shinobi-san," he greeted the adolescent Uchiha.

Itachi coolly turned his gaze upon the white clad medic, assessing but not unkind. "You are Kingo-sama?"

"I am."

"Then you are the one who can release her." Itachi said.

Kingo nodded. "I apologize for the delay. I hadn't expected to take so long."

The young Uchiha remained silent. In all honesty, he was rather annoyed by the wasted time. The Hokage had demanded that he bring her immediately, and the fact that he had been made to postpone his return only heightened his sour mood. What could have possibly held the healer back? Surely three hours was enough time to heal a child?

"Do you have the results ready?" He asked instead as he draped an arm over the side of the crib. Gently, as if scared to damage her, Itachi caressed the top of his ward's head. She shifted in her sleep, but seemed unwilling to wake—contently warm and well fed.

Kingo watched all of this with a quirked brow. "We do. But I have already sent the documents to the Tower so you need not concern yourself about them."

"Was she well?" The pre-teen asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

Kingo shrugged. "She is now."

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the deceptive statement. What was the man not saying? "Then she can be released?"

"Yes."

"Have you the documentation?"

"I do."

Itachi nodded, not entirely satisfied with the lack of information, but knowing that it wasn't his place to ask after details that weren't pertinent to his task.

So without further delay, he turned to his charge. His gaze softened the moment his eyes fell upon her. There was just something about the child that called to him. It was hypnotizing. In some ways, it scared him to feel such attachment to a person who he should have been indifferent to. Yet, it also felt natural, as if he was meant to be beside her.

Once more, he caressed the top of her head. Her thin black tufts of hair smoothly glided between his spindle-thin fingers. He tenderly bopped her pudgy nose, eliciting a whine and an annoyed grimace, He couldn't help the grin that came to him with the reaction.

Without another thought, he picked her up. She slumped against his chest, her little hands gripping at his loose fitting black shirt and thick green vest. Only briefly did she open her eyes, but seemingly recognizing his presence she remained quiet and instantly returned to sleep.

"We have a carrier for her, if you would rather…?" Kingo said, striding further into the room.

Itachi frowned at the suggestion. While it might have been safer to take her in a carrier, he preferred to hold her. But to ignore the suggestion might come off as too presumptuous. In the end, he assented to Kingo, who took out his com and ordered a durable sling for Itachi's use.

"It will just be a few minutes." The senior medic assured.

Itachi didn't doubt it.

They waited together in strained silence. Kingo scurried around the room, rearranging the medical devices into a semblance of order before standing at the foot of the basinet. He proceeded to pursue the files he had brought, every once and awhile jotting down a note. But Itachi could tell that he was more interested in the little babe than his patients' files.

"She's a remarkable child, you know." The man blurted. He seemed not to realize his slip as he returned his attention to his clipboard.

The comment, Itachi felt, was rather curious. What was the man possibly referring to? "I couldn't say." The Uchiha finally replied, his tone suggesting a lack of interest, although that was far from the truth.

Kingo chuckled humorlessly. "What a double edged phrase." He remarked.

Itachi blinked, and remained silent.

In the next moment an intern flounced into the room with the carrier and a few white paper bags.

"Vitamins and an antibiotic," the senior medic explained casually, "to get her back up to code." The intern tittered. Itachi glared in annoyance. But nothing further was said.

A few minutes later the young Uchiha was exiting the hospital and was carefully making his way to Hokage Tower. But as he got closer, his mind kept returning to his encounter with Kingo.

There had been something off, something in the man's manners that sent up a red flag in Itachi's mind. The medic-nin had simply been too fidgety, abnormally so. Without a doubt, something had happened between the doctor and his charge. And whatever it was, he was going to get to the bottom of it.

.

.

.

Mikoto was frustrated. She had known that her bid for guardianship would be a hard won battle, but in truth she hadn't really conceived of the effort they would need to undertake. It appeared that Konoha's Child Protective Services was not as firmly under her husband's jurisdiction as she'd thought.

"So we will need to approach the elders after submitting a Potential Parent Application and three recommendation letters?" She reiterated.

"Essentially," Fugaku said. "But you are missing other key components…"

Mikoto waved off his words. "Those don't matter. We are Uchiha, after all."

"That might be so but the placement and welfare of children is a delicate matter. We would need to follow the same procedures as everyone else." He explained, his tone distinctly patronizing.

Mikoto twitched. "Yes, of course, but can't the process be accelerated?"

Fugaku sighed. He leaned back in his opulent leather office chair and steepled his hands. He remained in this position for several minutes, just staring at his wife who fidgeted out of anger and nervousness. "You never did tell me," he finally said, his eyes harshly assessing Mikoto. "Why you were so interested in taking in this child."

He received no response.

"I mention this merely because it will be asked of us in the future. What reason do we have to foster? Why this child and not others?" He questioned and then quirked a brow haughtily. Mikoto forced herself to remain emotionless, though she was inwardly seething. "I also ask because I see no reason why we should pursue this matter."

"I have never asked you for anything…"

Fugaku tsked. "Do not play games with me, wife. I am in no mood."

How dare he? Mikoto thought. She gritted her teeth, trying to remain composed and appear unaffected. She took a deep breath, stamping down her vicious thoughts that demanded that she stab a kunai into his unfeeling heart. However, having a tantrum of that magnitude would do nothing to solve her dilemma. Her husband would only respond to reason. And up to that point she realized she had given him nothing substantially rational.

After some silent contemplating, Mikoto decided to tell the truth. "I want her."

"You want her?" Fugaku said incredulously.

Mikoto could tell her husband was annoyed, and so chose her words carefully. "Yes." She said, licking her lips. "She is…different."

Her husband leaned forward, his face clear of emotion but his eyes blazing. "It could be argued that so are others."

"I do not disagree that each child is different in their own way," Mikoto said softly. "But she is special. She _will be_ an Uchiha."

Her husband sneered. "I highly doubt that."

Mikoto exhaled slowly. 1, 2, 3…she counted. "If you listen to me on anything," She said slowly, patiently, "I ask you to listen to me on this. She is different. She _is_ special."

Fugaku rose quickly from his seat and slammed his hands down on his desk. He glared at his wife who remained seated, gazing back calmly and with fortitude. "Do you honestly think that drivel will win you custody?" He growled.

"No." She said. Both were quiet after her admission, but then Mikoto confidently straightened her shoulders, raised her chin up high, and said: "But I _will_ have her. And I will do _anything_ it takes to see to it that I do."

Fugaku gazed at his wife through narrowed eyes, silently assessing her. Finally he sat back in his seat and turned it to look out the window at his back. "I still do not agree or think that you are being realistic. Why would we take in a child that is not of our blood? And more importantly, why take in a common mongrel that you found on the streets?"

"She is not common!" The Uchiha Matriarch hissed.

Her husband turned back to her, eyebrows quirked. "Then who is she? You neglected to tell me that as well."

Mikoto hesitated. "That's not important." She said.

Laughing harshly, Fugaku rose from his seat and walked over to stand in front of his wife. "You, my wife, are hypocritical. You say this child is special and yet you are unwilling to give me her name. It makes me think that you do not know it."

Mikoto remained silent.

"You don't, do you?" the Head of Uchiha demeaned.

Mikoto bit her tongue, and stared up at Fugaku crossly. "As I said, it doesn't matter. We will give her a name once she is ours."

Her husband leaned down, placing his hands on the armrests of her chair, effectively trapping her. He stared into her eyes intensely as if he would find the answers he desired written there for him to easily glean. "Why are you so insistent about this?" He inquired gently. "You have never shown interest in fostering or adopting before. So why now? Why this one? How did you even come upon her?"

Mikoto sat silently. She couldn't tell him that it was Itachi who brought the child. She might have threatened it back at the house, but to say anything now would simply get her eldest in trouble. And with that she couldn't mention the mission. She was not supposed to know about it to begin with.

One a side note, she reminded herself that she would need to reprimand her son for his slip. He knew better than to tell anyone about his tasks unless authorized to do otherwise. Now that she thought about it, she wondered he had been getting enough sleep…

But back to the point, she needed to tell Fugaku something. She wouldn't get very far if he didn't receive a concrete answer that could possibly explain her 'unrealistic' desires. But what could she say that wouldn't seem suspicious?

"It was by accident." She began tentatively, gaining confidence as the pieces of her white lie began to weave into a feasible story. "As you know, I like to volunteer at the hospital when I can. So I left Sasuke with Chiyo-san, since I would only be gone for an hour or two…" Her husband nodded irritably—obviously suspicious—yet willing to hear her out. So she continued. "When I got there, I was told that a child had just been dropped off who had been brought in by one of our inbound escort teams. She had been very badly injured, from what I understand. And to say the least, I was curious. So I decided to stop by the child's room. She was the most precious little girl I have ever seen, with the biggest, most expressive blue eyes. I later learned that her clan had been killed, and that she had been the sole survivor. I couldn't…" She trailed off, eyes misting dramatically. She dearly hoped her tale would be enough and that Fugaku would grasp her meaning.

He said nothing, but Mikoto did not dare look into his eyes to see what he was thinking. She knew that if she did, she would give her partially true tale away. And she wasn't willing to risk that.

"I see," Fugaku mumbled. His eyes bore into the top of his wife's head intently. Yet, after a moment he released his hold on her seat and moved away.

Finally feeling it safe, Mikoto looked up. Her husband was leaning against his desk, arms crossed and eyes closed in thought. Privately, she wondered what he was thinking, though she knew she would never know. As it stood, Fugaku was a very complex, secretive, and introspective person that shared nothing with anybody, not even his elderly council of peacocks.

"I still do not see sense in your decision." The Uchiha Head grumbled.

Mikoto blinked. "I do not expect you to." Could it be that easy? She thought.

"I think you should take some time to mull this over, wife. You do realize that once you begin the process of adoption, you cannot easily back out." He told her.

"I don't need extra time. I know this is what I want to do."

Fugaku sighed. "But is it the right thing to do?"

Mikoto shrugged, refraining from answering. There was no point. She had won, and that's all that mattered. Her spouse could be as critical as he liked. It didn't matter. She knew what she wanted. And she would ultimately follow through.

A small smile blossomed on her face as she thought of the little girl. She was rather excited. She had always wanted a daughter. By all means she could still have one, though she thought it highly unlikely. Now that Fugaku had his two sons, he wasn't inclined to have any more children. And truthfully, Mikoto wasn't much inclined to give him any. But this child would be different. The babe would be solely hers. It was quite a delightful thought.

"Very well," said her husband. Mikoto looked up hopefully. "I will go and speak to the Hokage. Perhaps he can speed up the process. But I tell you now, you shouldn't expect anything."

Sitting forward in her seat, the Uchiha Matriarch found herself bouncing with enthusiasm. "I know. And could I possibly come with you?"

"If that is what you wish."

Mikoto smiled. "It is."

"Very well," Fugaku assented. "Keep up."

Without another word, Fugaku strode out of the room and down the sterile green tiled hallway of the Police Force building. From within his office Mikoto watched him, a smile still on her face. And then she too was out the door, heading for Hokage Tower.

.

.

.

When Itachi arrived, the doors to the Hokage's office were closed. He looked to the man's secretary who waved good-naturedly, much as she had done a few hour previous. "It will be just a moment, Uchiha-san!" She chirped without prompting. A second later she picked up her phone, dialed a number, and told the person on the other side that their appointment had arrived. Without having to wait long, the office doors opened and on the other side stood the Sandaime.

"Ah, Itachi, welcome back," Sarutobi's gravelly voice intoned. "And I see you are not alone. Good. Good."

Gripping the child slung across his chest, Itachi bowed slightly. "I apologize for my tardiness, Sandaime-sama. I was held up."

Amusement flashed across the old man's eyes. "Yes, I am well aware that."

Itachi fought back a blush. Of course he would already know. Kingo had said he'd sent the test results ahead, and more likely than not had also explained the reason for the long wait.

"Come in, child." Sarutobi said kindly, gesturing the young Uchiha male forward. "There are some people I would like you to meet."

Itachi frowned, but marched into the office obediently. When he entered he noticed that unlike before the lights were not dimmed. In fact, the windows were wide open, letting in the fading daylight, and the light sconces were blazing. The ambiance of the room was warm and welcoming, a sharp contrast to the solemn almost belligerent environment of before.

Standing off to the side was the woman and man from before. Itachi remembered passing them in the hall earlier—it was the monk and priestess. They were gazing at him now with more friendly expressions, their countenances, like the room, having changed to be lighter.

The Uchiha heir frowned. Why would they be here? Then it came to him, and his eyes widened. Was it possible?

"Young man, I would like you to meet Higure Kaede and Arashi Mushin." Sarutobi said. He moved to sit behind his desk, as the man and woman stepped forward.

"Hello, Itachi," Kaede greeted, offering up a hesitant smile.

She was fairly young, Itachi noticed. She couldn't have been much over twenty-five. She appeared strong and healthy, while her tanned skin denoting long hours in the sun. The only fault he could see was a black patch over her right eye, and vaguely he wondered what could have happened. He didn't dare to ask, though he remained curious.

Unlike last time, Kaede no longer carried her weapons. She still wore her red and white priestess garb, but had swapped the bow and arrows and dagger for a set of prayer beads. She held the tiny black globules between her fingers, rolling them around anxiously. They clanked discordantly, but almost like a lullaby they seemed to calm her.

Next to Kaede, Mushin shifted, drawing Itachi's attention. The man folded his hands behind his back and stared coolly. In opposition to his counterpart, he did not greet Itachi. He stood tall, his staff resting against his left shoulder, his posture ready for anything.

Arashi Mushin was a good-looking man; likely in his thirties with a lighter skin tone than Kaede's. He was not muscular by any means, and actually had a bit of a stomach, though Itachi recognized the threat the older male still posed. Despite his tubular tummy, his overall bearing screamed confidence, as if he knew that he was far better than anyone else in the room. But Itachi could also see in the man's aqua green eyes that he was not as willing to fight as he appeared. There was a playfulness there, which seemed to come and go like ocean tides.

"As you have probably already begun to guess," the Sandaime continued after a tense moment of silence, "Kaede-san and Mushin-sama are here because of the massacre in Frost Country."

Itachi nodded solemnly as dread grew in the pit of his stomach. He clutched his charge closer to him, seeking comfort in the little girl's warmth. He truly didn't want to know why they were there. It was obvious of course, but he still didn't want to know. Knowing would mean that he would have to let go of something that he desperately wanted to keep a hold of.

"You see Itachi…"

"Hokage-sama," Kaede called, forcing the leader of Konoha to halt in his explanation. "Perhaps it would be better if I explain."

The old man cocked his head to the side curiously, but gestured for her to do as she pleased.

Striding forward to stand in front of Itachi, Kaede reached out her calloused hand. At first he thought she was going to touch him, but then she switched paths and began to pet the top of his charge's head.

"Would you like to know her name?" She asked compassionately.

Itachi stood speechless. His mask didn't waiver, but it appeared Kaede was able to see right through him.

"Her name is Kagome," she continued, seemed to know what he wanted. "Higure Kagome."

"Kagome…" Itachi whispered in wonder.

Kaede found herself smiling, and she was not alone. Sarutobi sat at his desk, his sharp old eyes watching the exchange knowingly. A grin played upon his lips, though he desperately tried to push it away. Mushin, on the other hand, had a quirked brow though his eyes glinted madly—utterly delighted.

"Yes," the priestess sighed breathlessly. "And she is very important."

"I know."

For the first time, Mushin spoke. "Do you?" His cultured voice, a smooth baritone, queried.

Itachi nodded sharply—his only reply.

"Then we must thank you," the monk intoned, "for if not for you, our Lady would not have survived and we would be bereft of our most precious procession."

Itachi found the comment strange. He frowned at the monk who stared back—completely unaffected. "Your Lady?" he finally asked, unable to keep his curiosity contained.

Kaede was the one to answer. "Yes, Kagome-sama is the Higure family's future Matriarch," she explained, adding quietly: "and more."

The Uchiha heir was again speechless. His dark eyes fell on the sleeping Kagome in his arms. He hadn't realized…. He couldn't have, but still, to think he had been taking care of a foreign heiress, one born to a very influential family, was rather surprising.

Then it occurred to him that what they were doing was distracting him. Instantly, his contemplations turned grave and his face lost its wondrous expression and reverted to his usual emotionless mask.

To say Sarutobi was disappointed would be an understatement. "I see you comprehend the seriousness of this situation, young Uchiha."

"Yes."

He understood all too well.

Lethargically he reached up to unharness the sling from his body. Kaede gazed at him sympathetically. It was apparent to her that the boy had become quite attached to her ladyship.

She knew what she _wanted_ to do; her feminine sentimentalities were quiet simply clawing at her to allow the Uchiha just a little more time with Kagome. But she also knew what she _needed_ to do. And unfortunately for the poor boy, it outweighed all else.

"Thank you!" she said sadly as he finally unhooked every clip and noose the sling had. Silently he moved to hand the baby heiress over, hesitating only slightly when Kaede took ahold of her.

But just then, Kagome's eyes sluggishly opened and Itachi found himself staring into blue depths. As if finally realizing what was going on, Kagome jolted fully awake. Her little head turned to look at Kaede, whose eyes widened in surprise. Then, quite jarringly, Kagome began to cry. Her loud wails filled the room, and she struggled vainly against her captive's hold.

Without thinking, Itachi reached out, plucking Kagome from Kaede's hands. He drew his charge into his chest when unexpectedly a bright pink light burst forth from Kagome and moved throughout the room. It swirled and churned around the office's occupants, tickling their cheeks, before coalescing around Kagome and Itachi only.

Wide eyed, Kaede and Mushin watched as the pink light was absorbed into Itachi's chest.

Once it had all settled a small pink teardrop formed under Itachi's left eye, and then soon after Kagome went completely silent.

Falling back to stand beside Mushin, Kaede stared at the two children in front of her.

"Impossible!" She exclaimed.

Mushin stepped forward defensively, looking ready to yank Kagome from Itachi's arms. Yet he seemed to hesitate, as if unsure that such a drastic action was the right one.

Seemingly noting the tense atmosphere, Sarutobi stood, looking questioningly at Mushin then Kaede, then back to the young Uchiha heir. He walked around his desk, his face gaining shadows that denoted his bewilderment and uneasiness. "What was that?" he probed sharply.

"It can't be…" Kaede mumbled, ignoring the Hokage. "Could it?" She aimed at her monk companion.

"It shouldn't be." He said darkly.

Itachi backed up. He didn't understand what was going on. What was that pink light? What exactly had upset Kaede and Mushin? What was it that he had done?

And just as he thought things couldn't get any worse, the doors at his back opened and in stepped Uchiha Fugaku.

* * *

**[AN]** If there are any errors, please point them out. LOOK: Miracles do happen! So don't freak, and just remember F.I.S.H.: _Fuck it! Shit Happens!_

_I like reviews. They feed this whore-mongering, attention-seeking creativity monster that dwells in my brain. So please be courteous and write something quick down below. Thanks!_


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